1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of sports equipment. More specifically the present invention relates to a golf club having a club head and a telescoping club shaft for extending from a conventional shaft length to a conspicuously exaggerated length for surprising and entertaining either fellow players or a person receiving the inventive club as a gift. The club head may be of any conventional driver, wedge or putter configuration, or of a creative configuration. The club shaft has a shaft proximal end preferably including a handle grip and a shaft distal end connected to the club head, and includes at least two telescoping shaft segments, and preferably a proximal shaft segment, at least one intermediate shaft segment and a distal shaft segment in the form of tubes of progressively decreasing diameter in the direction of the shaft distal end. Interior and exterior shaft segment collars guide the shaft segments smoothly, axially and with light friction resistance when the club shaft is telescopically extended and retracted to releasibly hold the club shaft in its extended or retracted mode, and include notch and projection clutch means to prevent the shaft segments from rotating relative to each other when the club shaft is fully retracted.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have long been golf clubs for driving a ball long distances over a driving range, out of a trap or short distances over the green. Yet none of these club designs has been designed to introduce levity and good natured fun into the game, or to provide a golfer with an entertaining surprise gift.
Arkin, U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,092, issued on Aug. 13, 1974, discloses a set of golf clubs and means for carrying the clubs. Brown, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,235, issued on Oct. 18, 1994, teaches a locking mechanism for a golf club. Findlay, U.S. Pat. No. 1,622,864, issued on Mar. 29, 1927, reveals a golf putter and method of forming the golf putter. Ehrich, U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,860, issued on Jul. 9, 1991, discloses a collapsible golf club.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a golf club having a telescoping club shaft which can be retracted to substantially the conventional length of such a club shaft and which can be extended to a significantly greater length for an entertaining visual effect.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a golf club which includes telescoping club shaft segments having collars surrounding and secured to the segments abut opposing collars and thereby stop shaft retraction at a certain point.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a golf club in which the opposing collars having opposing locking projections sized to fit into locking notches of an opposing collar to prevent axial rotation of one segment relative to another.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a golf club in which the locking projections and locking notches have rounded corners which bear against each other to laterally displace and guide each locking projection as the locking projection is advanced into the opposing locking notch.
It is finally an object of the present invention to provide such a golf club which is sturdy, reliable and economical to manufacture.